


The Southern Spark

by TheHatchlingWhelp2



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Action/Adventure, Fairy Tail Fan fiction
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-17
Updated: 2020-06-18
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:08:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,640
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24778168
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheHatchlingWhelp2/pseuds/TheHatchlingWhelp2
Summary: Set 50 years before the events of Fairy Tail This story follows Percival Stormcarver, a man trying to find his footing in the world after a devastating death: his own. A woman called Claudia found him 2 years after his death, asking for his aid recover things that were stolen from him, promising a return to his old life.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 2





	1. Prologue: Blood and Thunder

Percy pressed against the door desperately, the sound of wood burning filling the air around him.

The door wouldn't budge. Why wouldn't it budge?! He shouting came from up the stairs behind him. Had to move. Couldn't think straight, ears still ringing. The sound of a rushing wind filled the air as he blasted the door off its hinges, stumbling out into the stormy night. The rain pounded on him, His right arm hanging limply at his side.

The ash had filled his nose, the only other thing aside from the smell of ozone that had filled the air. Percy's feet splashed in the mud, barely managing to stay upright as the whole world seemed to sway. Blood streamed down the left side of his face, so much blood that he couldn't see on that side. Not even the rain could wash it away.

He tripped, not realizing until he was on the ground sputtering for breath. He struggled upwards, body trembling as he managed to get a knee under himself.

A boot press against his head as it shoved him back into the mud, silencing a yelp of terror. Without thinking he clawed at the it franticly and pushed lighting through the person's leg. Percy didn't hear them scream or fall, unable to tell if he was alone or surrounded. He began crawling, trying desperately to regain his footing.

He had to get away, the mage thought as he stumbled to his feet. He had to get somewhere safe, this was so stupid! Why did he think he could be here!? He had to move on. Somewhere like-

A sickening thunk brought him to his knees again as the bite of steel cut into his right shoulder, followed instants later by the explosion of pain that silenced all thoughts.

He couldn't hear his scream over the constant, deafening thunder. Blood splattered across the side of his face, His mind seems to halt. Exhaustion pressed against his chest, his shoulders even as he felt the blade cut deeper. He heard the wet thump of something hitting the mud as it stopped.

Up was down, down was up. He tried to support himself on his right arm, only to fall to the earth with no resistance.

His spirit was empty. He felt electricity spark across his skin weakly as he tried to muster some sort of strength.

Nothing.

Even the sparks faded into the rain. Frost that formed on his fingers had melted.

His vision blurred, cold pressing against his chest, squeezing him like a python.

Everything was shutting down, blacking out. His vision blurred more and more. The only thing he could remember was green eyes behind white hair as the hail began to hit the ground around him. Nothing would move

He couldn't feel any of it 

as the cold crept in... 


	2. Blue Skies and sun

2 Years Later

Percy bathed in the warmth of the sun, eyes closed as he just took in the smell of wheat ready to harvest. He loved the gentle rustling of grass and trees in the wind. Found peace in the serenity of nature. He allowed himself to just float for what felt like infinity, basking in it all.

But all good things must come to an end, he thought to himself.

As he opened his eyes his gaze fell across the golden fields, large windmills turning lazily in the breeze. Little flags flew at their tallest points, dyed a deep green.

As Percy's senses reawakened he leaned on the wall he had been sitting beneath, the sound of metal grinding on stone as his prosthetic arm helped rise to his feet. Dusting off his gray-blue vest and rough pants, He grabbed the satchel and funny looking pack he had set beside him. It looked almost like the carapace of some sort of beetle, the same color of his vest. He slung them both of his shoulders, tipping backward a little before making his way along the wall, his boots leaving indents in the grass as he went.

As he neared the entrance to the town, the sound of humanity filled the air. People talking over each other as they walked and ran through cobbled streets. The sounds of horses, cattle, and other animals mixed with the hubbub. 

Reaching the wide gate of Haiten, the sounds gave way to the main thoroughfare of the city. Chocolate mustangs and gray cattle, people of all classes and color and gender wandering through the streets. Others still peddled their wares; fruit and finery, vegetables and vanity, and even a fully cooked meal or two as restaurants opened into the main way. Buildings of all sizes stood proudly on both sides, each one hanging a green flag of some kind. Larger buildings flew the standard of the kingdom of Bosco, a Black Bear on a grass green banner.

Percy heard the clanking of metal on metal and ducked into the crowd, pretending to be interested in the jewelry the peddler was offering as two guards walked by. Their armor was practical. It protected all the necessary parts that needed protecting and got the message across with the forest green tabards that they were guardsmen.  
Not that they guarded anything. 

The stand had golden necklaces, fancy rings, gorgeous gemstones. And about half of them were fake. Sure there were a couple of real ones in the mix. But he could tell by the necklace he grabbed to admire. The gold had the wrong kind of shine, the gems lacked the right sort of clarity.

Percy put on a necklace to see how he looked. It was only courteous, after all. His spikey black hair was growing wild, catching a little in the small chains. Gazing into the nearby mirror, he could see just how manic he looked. He'd have to tame it soon. Looking closer, he inspected his left eye, to be certain everything was working right. It flickered a little, showing the mechanical gray he tried so hard to hide. The diagonal scar gouging into his pale face didn't exactly draw attention away from it.

He noticed how the merchant was looking at him now, which only confirmed his suspicions. The man had an air of hunger about him. Percy just shook his head and took it off, turning to make sure the men from before were gone before moving on.

He wandered deeper into the crowd. His stomach growled over the commotion and the food smelled good. Taking only a moment, he bought himself a sandwich from a nearby food stand. The advantages to cities like this, where cultures and vendors of all kinds crisscrossed and traveled from afar, was that everything was made that day. No need for magical preservation when you could sell your wares in an afternoon, and take home the rest. Freshly baked bread stuffed with meat from over a spit, carved in front of your eyes, and layered with creamy cheese that smelled pungently thanks to age and skill..... there was nothing quite so delightful as a sandwich such as this.

He wanted to find someplace a little more private to enjoy his food so he moved deeper into the town, wrapping his sandwich in the paper they gave him. They had a park nearby, a popular place for those who enjoyed the feeling of nature without many of the downsides, like insects or animals. He also knew the guards didn't go there. It was the one place citizens of Haiten insisted on having to themselves, and they got it.

It's why he used to live so close. Every person, from the largest man to the tiniest child, had moxie and spirit that could not be broken or tamed. This was their city, and all were welcome to share in its diversity and promise. Every day he'd come, get the same few things from the same few places, laugh and tell stories with old friends and maybe even show off creation or two. The people loved him.

That was before he died.

This was the first time he'd been back here in a long time. He hoped, maybe, he could re-establish himself here. Rebuild his life into something.

And yet, something in his gut told him that wasn't gonna be the future for someone like him.

As Percy made his way towards the park, he noticed a few children playing in the street. They were pushing a little ball back and forth between them, looking almost disappointed in it. With confusion on his brow, he approached them carefully, setting down his pack against a nearby building.

"Hello there. You look distraught about something. What's wrong?" He asked, looking to the one who seemed to be leading this whole game. A lithe little boy with knobby knees and thin fingers. Percy squatted to meet him eye to eye while picking up the ball in his mismatched hands.

"Well, sir, I've 'ad this ball since I was very young. My parents gave it to me, And it used to zoom around the street like a pup! But lately, it's lost its zoom and we don't know 'ow to get it back." The boy looked confused, even a little nervous as to why a random stranger was interested in his ball. His friends were looking to each other, just as confused as to their leader.

"Lost its zoom, you say? Hmm.... sounds like it's hungry." Percy grinned slyly as he examined the ball. It was one of his! He could still feel the magic he'd used it bring it to life, if faintly.

"'ungry, sir?"

"That's right! He's been munching on the same old thing he had since he started zipping around, and now he's finally done with it. And what do you do when something is hungry?" He found it. A small imperfection along the surface, an indent just enough to house what he was looking for. Focusing a little, he pushed a tiny amount of electricity through the ball and the object of his desire fell from the indent: a small orb, no bigger than a marble, that was clear as glass. He offered the toy back to the boy. "Hold it just like that, if you please."

"Feed it?" The boy asked quizzically, further confused as he took the ball from Percy. His friends were getting nervous, wondering what this man had in store.

"Exactly. Now, if you'll give me just a second....." Percy put his hands together, closing his eyes, and focused on the gap between his palms. The children could see his prosthetic in plain view. It was made of the same blue metal as his strange pack, fingers and joints formed carefully to be smooth and round, mimicking the form of a real hand. His whole arm was the same, going as far up as the shoulder. Nothing seemed tied together by anything as if it wad held there by magic.

And magic it was because between his palms a soft, electric blue glow peaked out, twinkling before fading out after a moment. The kids were wide-eyed with amazement as they watched him. When the mage opened his eyes and held out his hand, where once there had been nothing, a small blue orb, the size of a marble and murky like a swirling storm cloud, lay balanced in his palm. A tiny lacrima of his creation.

It was the best he could manage nowadays as he gently pushed it back in, sparks dancing between his fingers. He recalled the first time he tried it as he set the ball down, how it had all blown up in his face. He laughed with them as the ball began to zip down the street, the children dashing to chase it for what he only imagined the rest of the day, and hopefully years to come.

As he turned around and picked up his backpack, something across the way caught his eye. Or rather, someone.

The first thing he noticed about her was the fact that she was tall, much taller than any woman he'd seen before, standing a full head above the butcher she was talking to. She was writing into a pad of paper, wearing the same armor he'd seen on other guards, with two key differences: the first was her shoulder pads were large. Unreasonably large. And yet they didn't seem to weigh her down. The second was the tabard she wore. Blazed across her chest in deep green sat the Black Bear, this time with a gold trim an inch around the edge. He couldn't discern much of her face from this distance, but he could see she had caramel skin and her head was shaven on one side. The other she let grow out, trimming just below her ears.

She was someone in a position of command.

As he strained his eyes to look, Percy realized he knew the butcher. And as he looked, the butcher looked back. Going white as a sheet, the man pointed him out franticly. The woman looked over as well, meeting his gaze squarely.

"Crap."

With only a moment's hesitation, Percy turned tail and ran into a nearby alleyway, ignoring the shouting he heard behind him.

He wasn't one for running, truth be told. But he was in no position to fight right now. Or at all, really.

The buildings loomed over the head like dark guardians, not giving him much room to breathe as he heard the sound of metal shifting against itself. Was she gaining on him?

Looking over his shoulder, Percy could see she was catching up and fast too! All he had wanted to do was eat his damn sandwich! When this was over he was gonna give that butcher the fright of his life! If he survived, that is. And the chances of that happening suddenly plummeted as he came to the end of the line.

A tall dividing wall stretched about 8 or 9 feet in the air. He could hear the hustle and bustle of people on the other side. If he could get over there he'd be scotfree! But how?

"Hey! I just want to talk!" The woman from before finally caught up to him, blocking his only other exit.

Percy turned and looked at her with a mix of fear and anger, pressing himself against the wall while his other hand went to his satchel. "Oh yeah? And talk about what? How you're going to detain me or something? Or maybe you'd like to have a little 'fun' with me before you do?"

"That's not it at all. I'm-" She slowed down and approached carefully as if trying to appeal to him

"Then what is it? Because either way, I'm not interested in coming with you." His eyes narrowed, glaring daggers towards her. He could see her face now, Forest green eyes, a sharp nose, sharp chin. She was even more powerful looking up close, almost amazonian. It explained why she could carry those shoulder pads around and still keep pace with him.

He was rummaging around for something, anything useful. Then he felt what he needed. Pulling it out, Percy revealed a small, round bottle with a golden capper to seal the contents inside. Within its tiny confines, through a thin layer of iron paint, lighting jumped and arced waiting for release.

"Cover your ears!" He yelled, and in one swift motion, he slammed it into the cobbles. The sound of glass shattering was masked by the deafening thunder of electricity, forcing the guard to cover her ears and take a step back. And while she was disoriented, he made his way up the wall, using the buildings beside it to keep his momentum before using a gust of wind to propel him just over the top. He landed on the other side, using another gust to soften the landing as he rolled through back onto his feet.

Waiting for just a moment, seeing if she would follow, Percy managed a chuckle and pulled out his sandwich. But as he took his first bite, and before he could disappear into the crowd, there was a loud BOOM behind him!

Finishing his bite and looking back, he saw a massive metal claw grasping the top of the wall. In one graceful motion, the woman hiked herself over and landed on her feet. Other people were now looking on as she stalked towards him. Her pauldrons were gone, he could only assume they were now the large claws she had just used to catch up.

Her irritation was set in her face as she stopped just before him. 

"Let's try this again." She said, leaning in and glaring back at him. She spoke with authority and force, making even the defiant Percy shrink beneath her gaze. "My name is Claudia Heavyhands, Chief Investigator for the Boscan Military, and I have some questions for you."

"Okay," was all Percy could offer in a tiny, almost inaudible voice. The people around them returned to their business as Claudia escorted him back to the park.

Percy ate his sandwich on the way between suspicious looks towards Claudia. They found a good bend the sit on as the woman took notes. She made her gargantuan gloves into a large pair of steel boots. They weren't going anywhere, but he wondered if she could walk in them. After seeing her get over the wall, he wouldn't be surprised.

"So, let's start from the beginning. What's your name, occupation, and age?" Claudia started, looking towards him expectantly with notepad in hand.

"Percival Stormcarver. Occupation: Toymaker. Age? Your guess is as good as mine." He shrugged folding his arms across his chest and looking away from her.

"Alright, we'll circle back to age another time. What sort of toys did you make? And was that your only source of income?"

"No, it wasn't my only source of income. While I made toys of all sizes and complexity, you know that wasn't all. I didn't make weapons though." He didn't see the point in holding back. She knew all this already. He'd had several contracts in the past.

"And can you tell me what happened two years ago? At your cottage about 5 miles from here?"

Percy darkened from begrudging to closed off. "I thought you people had to submit detailed reports. Or do you make exceptions when you ruin a man's life and career?"

The pencil she was holding snapped in her massive fist. Her face became cold, hard as hail. "No, and we don't excuse such actions either." Then she warmed a little, pulling another Pencil from her pocket. "On the other hand, what reports we do have say you fought like a demon. And that they...... killed you."  
"That's right. I died. End of story."

"Not so, seeing as you enjoyed that sandwich of yours. So tell me, what happened?"

Percy was silent for a long time, thinking of how much to tell and how much to keep. His face said it all.

"I was threatened a week before. Told to leave or be removed. When I didn't, they came back with more men than I could handle. They destroyed and burnt down my home, took my arm and eye." He gestured to his right eye, and it flickered as he gazed down at his prosthetic."I lost..... everything."

There was a long, drawn-out silence as she made notes. There wasn't must else to say on the matter.

After a while, Claudia put the notepad away, leaning forward and resting her arms on her knees. "Look, I'm not here to just investigate your murder. I came here to offer an opportunity for you."

He looked at her out of the corner of his eye. "Why? What could the government want with me?"

"Commander Mordant is doing an internal investigation, trying to root out the brutal and cutthroat from our ranks. At least in the civilian territory. Beyond the military, and the corrupt, there are also ruffians and highwaymen seeking to gain something for themselves. Using your designs."

"Impossible. All my designs were destroyed when my home was reduced to cinders."

Claudia pulled a map from a pouch strapped to her leg armor, opening it up for him to see. There were several towns marked with Xs. Some nearby, other far to the north. "When your cottage was raided, the men who attacked you also stole several schematics, before later selling them to different artificers around the kingdom. Some turned them into weapons for gangs, others we've managed to collect before those sorts of plans were put into motion. And I think they're somehow connected."

"How doesn't that surprise me. I'm assuming that's why your Commander Mordant put you on the case?"

"Correct. If we can track down the person responsible for causing this, you've been promised a handsome reward: the rebuilding of your Cottage and the restoration of your business, all funded by the kingdom until you can get back on your feet."

Percy was silent, thinking it over. The prospect was too tempting to turn down. In his heart of hearts, that was all he could hope for and more. Looking to Claudia, he nodded. "I'll do it. When do we start?"

She pointed to Haiten. He hadn't noticed there was an X above it too. In the mountains. "Today. From what we know, this is urgent. Come on."


	3. Chapter 3

Percy was sweating profusely as he pulled himself onto a rocky outcropping. Pulling off his backpack he leaned against the cold stone, all but gasping for breath. His arms and lungs burned from the exertion and lack of air. His clothes were soaked through, and he was begging to chafe. 

Two years ago, this would've been the least of his difficulties. If not for his lack of energy, he'd shout his frustration to the sky. Let the whole world hear him. Instead, he was silently gasping for breath as his mind turned to the reasons why they had to climb this mountain.

While Haiten was bisected by the main road, which was flanked by verdant fields and farmland, its northern edge was backed by towering mountains and sharp cliffs. To the south, the ports opened up into the seemingly endless ocean. Even from here, Percy could see the ships bobbing in the harbor as fishermen brought in the day's catch. What he wouldn't have given to be there instead of here. 

The bandits had been sighted in the woods towards the western base of this mountain, robbing merchants and suppliers alike. Claudia's scouts had reported that they were hiding out a quarter of the way up the mountain, most likely in a cave network of some kind.

"What sort of idiots.... make their home... in the side of a mountain...?" Percy cursed as he wiped the sweat from his brow. 

A large steel claw gripped the edge of his rock as Claudia pulled herself up. He pulled his knees up to his chest to give her room, staring at her over his legs.

He pulled his knees close to his chest as Claudia's steel claw gripped the edge of the outcropping. Sweat dripped from her face, but she seemed far exhausted. 

As her gaze fell on him, she raised an eyebrow. "What's the matter? You look like you're about to fall down the mountain." 

"It's been... a little while... since I did something like this. Give me.... a little bit of..... time to catch my..... breath..." He managed, glaring at her. He still didn't trust her, not in the slightest. And he couldn't hide the fact he was envious of her strength. "What happened... to that kind demeanor... from before? Or are you all.... just automatons.... built to never rest.....?"

"I'm a soldier, and now I'm on duty. There's no time for kindness. Not in combat, or on this mountain. Now shut up, and let's keep moving." Her claws slammed into the cliffside, digging into the stone as shards and dust went flying. When he didn't rise, she looked back at him. "Well? Aren't you coming?"

"Just a minute more...." Percy said, carefully getting to his feet. His legs were shaking, and the truth was he could barely manage that. He gazed up the rocky cliff side, trying to discern how far they were. Then he saw it! "There! That gap in the rocks!' He pointed up. It only a few yards above them, an alcove in this nearly sheer wall of stone.

"Then we really need to move. They could've seen us already. Come on." In one swift motion, Claudia grabbed him by the scruff and threw him upwards. His scream of surprise and terror could be heard in the town below as he was launched towards the hole in the rockface. The breath was all but forced from his lungs as he slammed against the edge of the hole. Flailing and scrapping his fingers into whatever handhold he could, Percy looked white as a sheet as he clung to the edge of the hideout.

After pulling himself upwards and in, he looked back over the edge to see Claudia still slowly making her way upwards. The ledge he was on would shake with each slam, and the sound of metal on the stone was more than audible. 

"Are you insane?! What if you missed!? I could be dead!!" Percy yelled, the adrenaline still coursing through his body as he pulled himself back into the alcove to stretch out on the cold stone floor. The wind whistled by the entrance as he tried not to puke or pass out, causing an almost moaning sound. 

Claudia soon followed, climbing over the edge to see inside. She surveyed the area, stepping over him to make sure there wasn't anything she was missing. It was a dark cave about 10 feet deep and 7 feet wide. The only light came from the cave entrance, illuminating very little. The walls were uncut and rough. Feeling around the sides, there were no loose stones or hidden levers. It was just the end.

"Nothing," Claudia muttered quietly. "There's nothing here!" Her tone was cold, her frustration palpable. To come this far and to be met with a dead-end, literally and metaphorically, was infuriating to her. Her scouts were rarely wrong! Least of all when they had a solid location to watch. How could they make a mistake like this? Metal creaked as she balled her fists, ready to punch something.

Finally getting to his feet, Percy looked around the room as well, seeing if there was something she missed. And out of the corner of his eye, he noticed something peculior. It looked like there was something just in front of her, flickering as his gaze shifted. First, he moved around a little, checking if it was a matter of perspective. Then he covered his false eye, finding nothing out of the ordinary. It was only when his real eye was covered that he could see what caught his attention: A grey door at the back of the cave made to roughly resemble the stone walls, with light just peeking underneath it. Striding forward, he carefully pushed past her to investigate.

"What the hell are you doing? There's nothing there, I checked. It's just a stone wall, nothing more." She said coldly, scowling down at him as he crouched in front of her.

"If you'd be patient, you'd see I know what I'm doing." Reaching forward, Percy gave the wall a push. From Claudia's perspective, a door-sized chunk of the wall just swung open, leading into a long carved hallway dimly lit with torches. As Percy rose, he tried in vain to hide a smug smile. "Illusion magic. That explains why you missed this. So we have a few mages to worry about."

"They're organized. Much more organized than I thought they were. How did they manage all this...?" Claudia ignored him and pushed forward, leading the way down the tunnel. Percy followed close adjusting the straps of his pack. The walls pressed in against them, their footsteps echoing down the tunnel.

"If I had to guess, they found someone who can do Earth magic," Percy mused. "That's also why no one has been able to stop them. Can't catch someone when they're 20, 30 feet in the air. Let alone halfway up a mountain."

Claudia just nodded, silence falling over them. The only noise was her armor and the sound of their boots on the floor. It felt like forever, the tunnel just winding deeper and deeper down. Percy began to shiver as they wound their way down. The gap between them began to widen, Percy keeping his distance. Finally, a door came into view, made of oak and flanked by torches. The only security it had seemed to be a simple iron bar for its handle.

Pressing her ear to the door, Claudia could faintly hear the sounds of chatter and roughhousing. Pushing it open, she peeked through the gap and saw dozens of men working, moving, and shouting as they laughed. She could just make out something in the middle of the large cavern, something covered by a large collection of stitched cloth.

Closing the door, she began to think aloud. "There are about a score of men in there, all working on something. We need to get in there to figure out what they're building. But how...?"

Percy tapped his fingers on his chin. "We could cause a distraction? Make some noise? But that wouldn't stop them from spotting me..." 

Suddenly, the door handle started to jostle. They both got to their feet as quietly as they could and waited. It jostled more and more until finally it opened. A man in rough clothing stepped into the hall, not looking at them.

"Damn thing..... never opens right for me.... gotta be jammed or something..." He struggled to shut the door, the wood scuffing against the floor a little as he pressed down on the handle.

Percy and Claudia on the other hand were simply stunned by how oblivious he was to their presence. Their minds raced along the same track, a plan bubbling up to the surface. After a moment, they locked eyes. Percy repressed a small smile as Claudia reached ouy.

Tapping him on the shoulder, the man whirled around, a look of irritation as his face as he started to say something. But before he could get a word out, Percy's left hook sent him reeling.

Checking his pulse to make sure he didn't go too far, Percy began fiddling through the man's clothing. Taking off their vest, he looked back at her and nodded. "Time to execute Plan T."

30 minutes later, the door was busted open by the heavy boots of Claudia. The noise caused all eyes to fall on her, most other sounds of work stoping.

"I am Claudia Heavyhands, chief investigator for the Kingdom of Bosco! And you're all under arrest! You can come quietly, or end up like this man!" She proclaimed, holding him up for all to see.

They began to murmur before it grew into a dull roar of laughing and mocking her. Her eyes narrowed, watching for motion as someone yelled "Get her!"

"Suit yourself." She grinned, before throwing the man at the huge thing in the middle. He slammed into it, a loud metallic ringing sounding out as scores of men charged towards Claudia.

Cracking her knuckles and smiling, a magic circle formed at the base of her neck. Suddenly, the wide collar of the metal shifted up into a basic head guard. Gauntlets out, she crashed into the force and started knocking them down like bowling pins.

Across the way, Percy groaned as he got to his feet on the scaffolding. It was surprisingly sturdy for being built in a cave, he thought as he pulled off the man's scarf and jacket. He could see Claudia, moving like a dervish of metal and pain. But she wouldn't last forever, and there were a lot of scoundrels here. More than a small gang or group of bandits, for sure. But while he could see the vaguely humanoid shape, he couldn't figure out which version he was looking at. The head would be the key to his understanding. He began to climb the scaffolding, working as quickly as he could to the top. And while steadier than he imagined, the boards still creaking audibly underneath his weight. Which was not a good sign, seeing as he was much lighter than Claudia. 'Must be my arm,' he thought as he clambered higher.

Meanwhile, Claudia was in the thick of it, only taking a moment to assess where she was in relationship to the people around her. Men with knives and clubs came at her, but she'd bat them away with the back of her hand or throw them into each other. Some brought maces, which she crushed and incorporated into her gauntlets. Their size continued to grow as the occasional sword and ax came her way. Soon she was moving it onto her head guard, transforming it into a full-blown helmet, complete with a faceplate. Then, all of them stopped coming as one person spoke behind her.

"Right then, the rest of you blokes step back. I got 'er." A tall burly man approached a flail in one hand and a normal hammer in the other. He wore simple mail armor, some of the chains were rusty and broken. A large scar was cut across the bridge of his nose, with his hair tied into a small bun. Claudia grinned wider, broadening her stance to prepare for a real fight. Then the sound of a board crashing towards the ground resounded through the cavern. Everyone turned towards the thing in the center, gazing up towards its shoulder where Percy stood. His eyes went wide with panic as he realized that ALL eyes were on him.

"Shit," Percy managed, realizing his mistake almost instantly. Claudia met his gaze, giving him a look of frustration as she shook her head. No one else moved, too surprised at what they were seeing.

The big man looked to his compatriots, his grip tightening on the hammer before he grabbed one of his men and threw him towards the scaffolding, yelling "What are ye waitin' fer? Get 'im! The rest of you, stay with me and the-!" He didn't get to finish his sentence as Claudia slammed her fist into his face, sending him backwards into the arms of his goons. Wiping the blood from his nose, the man got back to his feet. "Big mistake, Girly."

Meanwhile, five, ten, fifteen of the men ran towards the construction, jumping the gap and clambering upwards with greater speed than Percy expected. He began to climb with greater haste, frantically trying to get onto the shoulder before they caught up. The boards were too loose, and more were slipping out from underneath him. The statue or whatever it was gave him no purchase, the plates of metal too smooth to give him any grip.

"Great. Can give the time to make solid armor. Not the time to nail some boards together." He cursed as he climbed higher and higher, closer to the head of the thing. There was no other way to get a clear look without the scaffolding. As soon as he could see its face, he'd push the supports down.

Back on the edge of the room, Claudia was getting frustrated. Her gauntlets were too big now, and her swings too wide to hit her opponent as he simply danced out of the way. The flail cracked and crashed against her shoulders and arms, forcing her backwards. Then the first swing of the hammer finally came, seemingly swinging wide as she expected. instead, something slammed into the side of her head, sending her reeling. The man chuckled as he shook the hammer, revealing it to be a board of heavy lumber.

"Bet you weren't expecting, were ya?" He grinned, discarding the wood as he turned to a nearby work table.

The side of her helmet was dented, limiting her vision and making it hard to breathe. She pulled the ruined metal from her face, magically twisting some from her gloves back onto it. But the faceplate was gone. He clearly likes smashing, and protecting her face wouldn't be helpful against a hammer or another piece of wood. She pushed herself back to her feet, the size of her gloves shrinking a little as she readjusted and repaired gaps and chinks in her armor. Spitting some blood from her mouth, she charged back into the fray, refusing to let him get the upper hand again.

There was shouting from beneath Percy as he struggled to pull the heavy tarp from the satute. Most of them were to tell him to stop and that they'd gut him or something. He ignored these as he pulled and twisted. Finally, he got the cloth off. And to his horror, he knew what model this was. Then his ears perked up as something caught his attention. He heard "bring it out," intermingled between the shouting and the creaking. Smelling the air, his attention fell to a green glow towards the feet of what he knew for sure to be a golem. It smelled very much like dirt and mud, and freshly tilled earth. Soon the glow started to move upwards, towards the chest as it was handed from person to person.

"No! Stop, you don't know what you've built!" He yelled down, putting his weight against the head as he attempted, finally, to tear it all down. But scaffolding wouldn't budge. Too many people were on it. He dug around in his bag, pulling out a bottle of lighting and throwing it towards the floor. But he missed completely as it shattered against the ground. He heard screams of pain, but his mind was too focused on finding another bottle. The source of the earthy smell was getting closer, rising faster than he could take people out. Then, he felt a hand grab his leg and pull him downward. A greasy pale man with blonde hair grinned at him, knife in one hand.

Without thinking, Percy kicked him in the face as hard as he could. He felt the crack as the man's nose broke, forcing them off of him. With another kick, he forced the man off the scaffold and towards the floor. He could see that he just managed to grab ahold of the side. But he did the trick. There was the sound of grinding like something was being pushed into a hole it was much too big for. Percy looked over the edge to see that the green was in the center of the chest. And then, finally, the noise stopped as a new one began to fill the air. The sound of whirring gears and the creaking of joints, as green lines snaked their way up the creature. Following them, Percy watched as they disappeared beneath its collar, before sliding up its neck. Its face was awful to look at before, looking like a skeleton wearing a helmet. Now the green glow made it even more horrifying. It wasn't made for earth energy, design with lighting in mind. Circuits burst and metal ruptured, causing a fire at the base of the neck that engulfed the head. The eyes were yellow points in a green, flaming skull that grinned back at him. And now, behind those mechanical eyes, was artificial life. The sound of smashing wood filled his ears as the designation he gave this model came to mind with cruel irony. He stood face to face with the worst of his designs in front of him. Model 1N-S4N3.


End file.
